d hastily:

"There, there! no thanks, no thanks; I know exactly what you are
struggling to say, and I will take it as said. You need not trouble to
thank me in words. Let your deeds express your gratitude; and if you
behave as well under the pennant as you have hitherto done under the
merchant flag, I shall be more than satisfied. And I intend to give you
every opportunity of distinguishing yourself and doing me credit. For
it happens that the _Triton's_ boats captured a becalmed pirate schooner
last week, and brought her in. The lieutenant who led the attack lost
his life, poor fellow, in boarding, so that he has not to be considered;
and I propose, therefore, to purchase the craft into the service and
give you the command of her. She sails like a witch, I am told, and is
a wonderfully powerful vessel, just the sort of craft to give a smart,
young fellow like yourself every chance to race up the ratlines of
promotion. So now, all that you have to do is to arrange somehow to be
relieved of your present command as soon as possible, and then to step
into your new berth."

This I had no difficulty whatever in doing, thanks to the lucky chance
of Captain Winter being in the same port. I slept at the Pen that
night, my kind friend, the Admiral, insisting upon my so doing; and the
next evening I found myself in a position to inform him that all
arrangements had been made to relieve me of the command of the _Sword
Fish_, and to take the galleon home to England. And within forty-eight
hours of the receipt of my commission I had entered upon my new career,
and had ceased to be a privateersman.

THE END.

End of Project Gutenberg's The Log of a Privateersman, by Harry Collingwood

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